Russell Weiner is the chief executive of Rockstar Energy Drinks. He’s also the son of Mike Savage, the anti-gay radio host whose real name is Mike Weiner. But don’t let the one generation separation make you think father and son have different agendas: Mike’s wife Janet is Rockstar’s chief financial officer. Which means Rockstar — makers of a product not safe for children or pregnant/nursing women — is rolling in homophobic cash. (Pepsi too, then.) So when Russell donated $25,000 to the campaign of pro-gay San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom’s California gubernatorial campaign, the hypocrisy police found a target. Fast-forward to this week, when Newsom decided the bad press wasn’t worth the cash — and returned the cheque. Which makes sense, given Russell also founded something called the Paul Revere Society, based at the same address of Savage Productions, which is busy promoting the deportation of illegal immigrants and, uh, opposite-only marriage.
kevin (not that one)
I would’ve been boycotting Rockstar all along if I had even started drinking that nasty piss in the first place. Rockstar’s homophobic/right-wing roots is one of the many under-reported facts ignored by the media and the wider LGBT community. They make Coors look like Apple.
Ricky
Besides the fact that rockstar is owned by the son of a crazy man, the drink (I use that word lightly), tastes like shit. Gays should know better.
Bri
I never heard of this. It’s like Urban Outfitters…trendy and cool on the outside but on the inside there’s the founder, a bigoted old dinosaur fostering hate with the proceeds.
I personally can’t understand why people drink that piss anyway.
Just found this website
http://www.thetruthaboutrockstar.com/
Not that informative though.
Bri
Just read that Rockstar Energy Drink sponsored one of Rage Against The Machine’s tours. They’re so radical. *rolls eyes*
Ousslander
The only reason that made any sense to return the money was the revere society’s opposition to gay marriage not the deportation of illegals. Why was that even mentioned? Newsom should have kept the money and used it to campaign for ssm or donated it to a charity
Bill S
I beg of you, for the love of all that is good and holy, do not EVER again put the phrase “Mike Savage’s loins” in my head.
Sceth
In my eyes, this isn’t really a bad thing for Newsom’s image, but a good thing for Rockstar.
Newsom, we must recall, has risked and bellowed on behalf of gays for quite a while. He has more political capital (with me) than Barack Obama.
hardmannyc
I disagree. A politician should take money from anyone and everyone, as long as it doesn’t compromise his principles (yeah, I know: what principles?).
Ian
We really need to stand together with the immigrant community to fight these bigots. I know those who would benefit from the dreamact are very much liberal, and believe in equal rights just like us.
Conservatives need to be marginalized once and for all.
Bob
for goodness sakes, Gavin Newsome is nothing if not a Capalist in the making, he’s cashing in on his looks and his resume, why the hell not take a check from nut who’s managed to make a living off gay $ seeking to be hip drinking his drink. Good for Newsome, good for the nut, and good for everyone that enjoyed the drink. This is America, that’s what we do, and everybody got something for it….